In most cases, fear of light is not associated with serious ophthalmological diseases, and treatment consists of simple supportive and preventive measures. If photophobia is pronounced and accompanied by pain symptoms, then this symptom can signal inflammatory processes and exacerbation of chronic diseases.
If a person spends a long time in a dark or poorly lit room, then gradually bright light begins to cause unpleasant sensations. The reason is that our pupils do not have time to adapt to a sharp change in light conditions, as a result - lacrimation, inflammation of the eyelids (due to frequent squinting).
Doctors consider the following factors to be the main causes of photophobia of the eyes:
- conjunctivitis - with this infectious disease there is acute inflammation of the mucous membrane, pain in the eyes, purulent discharge, pain in bright light;
- if the cornea of the eye is mechanically damaged, or an ulcerative lesion of the epidermis or tumor is diagnosed, then this fact can also cause photophobia of the eyes;
- iridocyclitis - inflammation of the iris also shows symptoms of a painful reaction to bright lighting;
- the development of glaucoma (increased eye pressure) also causes fear of light;
- with migraines and a general increase or sudden changes in blood pressure, processes of a painful reaction to bright light are often observed;
- dilation of pupils (artificial) in the therapeutic treatment of ophthalmological diseases;
- acute allergic reactions;
- Long-term use of drugs from the tetracycline group, as well as furosemide and quinine, causes photophobia. Separately, it should be noted that taking doxycycline as a side reaction often provokes a painful perception of bright light;
- retinal detachment;
- “dry eye syndrome” – when working at a computer;
- incorrect or prolonged wearing of contact lenses;
- When carrying out welding work, visual impairment may be caused by exposure to bright light (sunlight also provokes photophobia).
Fear of bright light is due to the special structure of the eye and retina in people with different colors eyes, a light iris is more susceptible to the effects of bright light. Albinos are also more susceptible to developing this disease.
Diagnosis of the disease
To diagnose photophobia, a specialist must diagnose all the symptoms together and identify the cause that causes pain:
- the eyeballs hurt when pressed, there is constant pain;
- regular tearing;
- the patient squints and constantly closes his eyelids;
- Frequent, regular headaches are diagnosed.
In especially severe cases, patients temporarily lose orientation in space, and temporary short-term loss of vision is observed.
To clarify the full picture of the development of the disease and prescribe the correct treatment, additional laboratory tests are necessary:
- Brain CT and electroencephalogram - to identify serious chronic disorders;
- slit lamp examination;
- lumbar puncture sampling.
Only after all the studies can an ophthalmologist prescribe correct and effective treatment.
Treatment and prevention
Do not be alarmed; often photophobia, which is not associated with serious chronic or infectious diseases, can be cured using simple methods:
- in summer you need to wear sunglasses with a UV filter;
- limit time in front of the monitor and TV screen;
- purchase Vizin moisturizing eye drops and vitamin preparations.
It is also impossible to underestimate the body's signals. Sometimes fear of light can signal serious chronic illnesses or infections. Photophobia is a symptom of what diseases:
- acute conjunctivitis;
- corneal erosion;
- corneal ulcers;
- migraine;
- chronic or seasonal allergies;
- mental disorders;
- high blood pressure;
- hormonal disorders.
Separately, it should be noted that photophobia in childhood often signals that urgent measures need to be taken to eliminate the problem.
Photophobia in childhood
The child's body reacts very sharply to infectious diseases; one of the signs that should alert parents is a painful reaction to light.
For which diseases does photophobia in children require immediate diagnosis and treatment:
- acute infectious conjunctivitis;
- damage to the cornea of the eye of a mechanical or chemical nature;
- tumors of different etymologies;
- tuberculous-allergic keratoconjunctivitis;
- viral diseases.
A congenital deficiency of melanin is also observed in some children. In this case, vitamin preparations are prescribed, but only after a comprehensive laboratory examination.
Photophobia in children - causes and treatment:
- inflammation of the eye mucosa is most often diagnosed with viral, allergic or bacterial conjunctivitis. Treatment consists of oral antiviral drugs and local eye rinsing with disinfectants;
- “pink disease” (acrodynia) - redness and stickiness of the hands and feet, increased blood pressure, profuse sweating, decreased or complete loss of appetite, pronounced photophobia;
- endocrine ophthalmopathy - an autoimmune disease that is associated with dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
- fungal and tuberculous-allergic conjunctivitis - often diagnosed in childhood and requires professional treatment;
- Inflammation of the lymph nodes caused by tuberculosis also causes a painful reaction to bright light.
At the first signs of visual impairment in children, it is important to promptly seek qualified medical help. Photophobia may be a sign of a serious infection or other chronic condition. Providing on time health care will reduce the risk of concomitant inflammatory processes and guarantee complete recovery of the patient.
In contact with
Photosensitivity of the eyes is an uncomfortable condition that manifests itself under artificial or daylight conditions. During twilight and night time this condition disappears.
Root causes
Photosensitivity (the second name for photophobia) can occur in the presence of certain factors:
- taking medications that do not cause the pupil to constrict;
- working conditions causing unfavorable factors;
- individual bad habits;
- constant watching of television;
- corneal burn;
- congenital absence of iris pigment;
- with red-green blindness (color blindness);
- intensive work at the computer;
- hereditary predisposition;
- incorrectly selected contact lenses;
- eye diseases.
A short reaction of the eyes to a sudden change in lighting (transition from a dark room to a brightly lit one, etc.) within a few seconds or minutes is considered within the limits of standard functionality. In winter, snow sensitivity can last longer.
But if the problem continues for several hours, involuntary lacrimation appears, a feeling of pain in the eyes, pain, squinting, then this is the first sign of some disorder affecting the visual system. Sudden changes in lighting can cause headaches. The problem requires an immediate solution and consultation with an ophthalmologist.
Symptoms of photophobia
Increased photosensitivity may be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- headaches;
- involuntary release of tears;
- dilated pupils;
- hyperemia;
- unclear outlines of objects;
- reduced level of visual acuity;
- feeling of “sand” in the eyes.
For each of the symptoms, it is possible to presumably establish the causes of the disease.
Tearing
Along with fear of light, it occurs in diseases:
Injuries of mechanical origin - due to impact, foreign bodies and soap solutions (soap, shampoo) are accompanied by:
- pain in the affected organ;
- unclear, making it difficult to examine objects;
- constriction of the pupil.
Damage to the cornea - occurs with allergic reactions, infectious eye diseases, ulcers and erosions, burns and differs:
- discharge of pus;
- pain syndrome;
- independent closure of the eyelids;
- decreased quality of vision;
- sensations of foreign substances under the eyelid;
- hyperemia;
- decreased level of transparency of the corneal layer.
Migraines – pathology manifests itself:
- painful sensations in one part of the head;
- bilateral photophobia;
- nausea;
- intolerance to harsh sounds;
- lacrimation.
The following ailments are also accompanied by lacrimation:
- conjunctivitis;
- infection of the trigeminal nerve with herpes infection;
- for ARVI, influenza;
- abnormal eye development;
- chronic retinitis;
- retinal melanoma;
- violations of the normative exchange and movement of fluid in the eyeballs;
- intraocular hemorrhages;
- paralytic conditions of the oculomotor nerves;
- lack of melanin;
- increased functionality of the thyroid gland;
- hemorrhagic strokes;
- meningitis;
- encephalitis.
Increase in body temperature
The combination of high temperature and photophobia occurs when:
- meningitis;
- encephalitis;
- endophthalmitis;
- with purulent etiology;
- hemorrhagic stroke;
- trigeminal neuralgia;
In some cases, an increase in temperature indicates a brain abscess, manifested in paralysis of the facial nerves and asymmetry of the facial muscles.
Headache
Diseases reported: migraines, abscess, acromegaly, meningitis, encephalitis, acute glaucoma, stroke. Accompanied by compression syndrome – the patient’s personal sensations of “head in a hoop”.
Nausea
Intoxication of the body or increased intracranial pressure indicates the presence of hemorrhagic stroke, encephalitis, migraine, brain abscess, meningitis.
Pain syndrome
Acute cutting pain in the eyes indicates possible pathological conditions - uveitis, keratitis, burns, ulcerative lesions of the cornea, conjunctivitis, astigmatism, trigeminal neuralgia, blepharitis.
Children's period and photosensitivity of the eyes
The main root cause of photophobia in childhood is considered to be a congenital pathological condition in which the pigment melanin is absent. Its insufficient presence in the iris can also provoke photophobia.
There are a number of childhood diseases that can cause these symptoms:
- Conjunctivitis – different types(allergic or bacterial origin), provoking inflammatory processes in the mucous membranes of the eyes, the main symptoms of which are photophobia and excessive lacrimation.
- Motor nerve palsy - occurs with drooping of the upper eyelid, in which the pupil does not change its size and is not able to adapt to changes in overhead lighting. The causes of this disease are multiple, but all cause increased photosensitivity.
- Acrodynia - characterized by a pink tint to the skin of the hands and feet, with a sticky feeling when touched. Against the background of high sweating and high blood pressure, photosensitivity develops.
- Ophthalmopathy of endocrine origin - disruption of the functionality of the thyroid gland leads to manifestations of specific symptoms - sensations of foreign bodies in the eyes, pressure on them and photophobia.
- with tuberculosis-allergic etiology - if children have tuberculosis of the lymph nodes or pulmonary system, one of the eyes is affected.
Any manifestations of fear of light in children - closing their eyes, refusing to go out into the sun, watery eyes - should seek help from a pediatric ophthalmologist. Timely treatment will help preserve the child’s vision and avoid blindness.
Self-medication in childhood is strictly prohibited; the use of any eye drops, solutions and ointments is fraught with complications. Without determining the root cause of the development of photosensitivity, no doctor will prescribe treatment; the pediatrician will recommend consultation with an ophthalmologist and other specialists.
Children's eye health is more fragile than that of adults. Insufficient development of the visual organs often requires treatment of diseases in a hospital setting.
Diagnosis of the disease
When visiting a medical facility, the patient is sent for the following manipulations:
- ophthalmoscopy - examination of the fundus of the eyes using a pupil that is previously dilated with drugs containing atropine;
- biomicroscopy - search for degeneration of the vitreous body and sections of the fundus of the eye through a specialized slit lamp;
- perimetry – determination of visual fields;
- – aimed at level measurement;
- gonioscopy - viewing the border of the iris and cornea;
- pachymetry – measurement of corneal volumes;
- – if it is impossible to conduct a standard examination of the fundus of the eyes;
- angiography - to determine the patency of the vessels through which the ocular structures are nourished;
- optical tomography – to identify changes in the tissue components of the retina;
- PCR – tests for viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens from the conjunctival sac.
If all of the above research methods do not produce results and show standard indicators, the patient is referred to a consultation with a neurologist. With further purpose:
- MRG of the brain;
- electroencephalography;
- Dopplerography - examination of the vessels of the neck;
- Ultrasound of the thyroid gland;
- hormone tests;
- X-ray studies of the pulmonary system.
If the results are positive, further treatment is carried out by an endocrinologist, in case of damage due to tuberculosis - by a phthisiatrician.
Treatment of hypersensitive eyes
The effectiveness of treatment lies in the correct identification of the primary source of the disease and the prescription of symptomatic remedies that can relieve not only the disease itself, but also its manifestations. During therapeutic procedures, the patient is recommended to follow certain rules to alleviate the general condition:
- wearing in bright sunny days specialized glasses that do not transmit ultraviolet radiation, sold in ophthalmic pharmacy chains;
- if the body reacts to a certain type of drug, it can be replaced with prior consultation with an ophthalmologist and with his approval;
- a temporary type of photosensitivity of receptors is treated with eye drops and ointments based on drugs with antiviral, antibacterial and moisturizing spectrums of action.
Congenital diseases that cause constant photosensitivity require wearing protective tinted glasses, special purpose or similar contact lenses. With their help, discomfort in the eyes is reduced and the patient’s overall standard of living is increased.
The selection of such auxiliary protective equipment should be carried out by the attending physician. Carrying it on your own, without prior consultation, can worsen the course of the disease, causing additional unpleasant symptoms. Which will subsequently require independent treatment.
Preventive actions
To prevent recurrence of the disease in the future, you must adhere to the following requirements:
- constant adherence to hygiene rules - washing hands, avoiding touching the eyes with dirty scarves, towels, etc.;
- When working with welding equipment, it is mandatory to use special glasses and protective masks;
- for persistent dry eye syndrome, instill drops that match the composition of your own tears;
- do therapeutic exercises for the eyes every day, the methods of which will be introduced to you by an ophthalmologist;
- use sunglasses when going out into the bright sun, with the “ultraviolet protection” function, do not purchase glasses and contact lenses in dubious places, but only in specialized institutions.
Timely contact with a highly qualified specialist will reduce the healing time and eliminate relapses of this disease and the occurrence of related ones. Children who have been diagnosed with photosensitivity to the eyes must undergo mandatory examination at least twice a year and have their own protective glasses and contact lenses.
The use of traditional medicine methods in the treatment of this disease is not recommended - the results are not predictable, and the consequences can be dangerous not only for visual acuity, but also for possible loss of vision in the future.
In medical terms, photophobia of the eyes is a painful sensitivity of the eyes to daylight (especially in bright sunshine), while a person notices unpleasant sensations in the eye area, lacrimation - all this makes you squint a lot.
Photophobia is often called sunphobia or photophobia. In practice, there are cases when photophobia is mistakenly diagnosed, but in fact the patient has heliophobia - a pathological fear of being in the sun's rays.
This is a mental illness that is in no way associated with dysfunction of the visual organs.
Causes of photophobia and diseases that cause it
The causes of photophobia are different, let’s look at the most common ones:
- disease conjunctivitis, in which there is lacrimation and pain in the eyes due to acute (chronic) inflammation of the connective membrane of the eyes),
- iritis is an inflammatory process on the iris,
- keratitis - an acute inflammatory process on the cornea of the eyes,
- corneal damage, ulcers, eye tumors,
- structural features of the organs of vision (albinism is a pathology in which rays of sunlight enter not only through the pupil, but also through the iris, which is devoid of pigment),
- the presence of common diseases (migraine, colds, etc.),
- adverse effects environment, in which there is an excess of ultraviolet radiation,
- congenital photophobia, in which the eyes react to artificial or daylight due to an insufficient amount of melanin pigment (or there may be a complete absence of this pigment),
- taking certain medications,
- the development of photophobia against the background of prolonged and continuous stay at the computer (medics have the term “computer visual syndrome”), is caused by the development of increased sensitivity of the visual organs to wind, light with constant drying out, an excess of visual stress,
- eye damage from bright light (for example, snow ophthalmia, in which the cornea is damaged due to exposure to a huge amount of sun rays reflected from the snow, this also includes eye damage during welding work without protection, direct looking at the sun),
- a sharp (acute) attack of glaucoma, migraine,
- when staying in a dark room for a long time, and then the appearance of bright light provokes photophobia - the pupil cannot instantly adapt to the lighting, this is considered a normal reaction and does not relate to pathology,
- If a foreign body enters the cornea of the eye, corneal erosion may develop,
- artificial dilation of the pupil, which is used to study the fundus (the pupil in this case does not contract under the influence of light, but the retina is exposed to light rays),
- diseases measles, botulism, rabies, as well as mercury vapor poisoning are almost always accompanied by photophobia, but in this case we are talking about pronounced signs of brain damage,
- photophobia as a side effect of taking medications such as quinine, furosemide, doxycycline, belladonna, tetracycline,
- retinal disinsertion, sunburn eye, refractive surgery can also provoke the development of photophobia,
- manifestation of photophobia when wearing contact lenses (the cornea may be irritated or the lenses are incorrectly selected).
Diagnosis of photophobia
Photophobia is diagnosed based on the patient’s complaints and the presence of additional symptoms, as well as additional examinations and tests.
The examination includes:
- eye examination,
- corneal scraping (ophthalmoscopic examination),
- examination of the eyeball using a slit lamp,
- lumbar puncture,
- ultrasound examination of the eyes,
- computed tomogram of the brain,
- electroencephalography.
Treatment of pathology
- testing eye pain (moderate to severe) in low light,
- hypersensitivity to light, forcing you to wear sunglasses,
- headaches, redness of the eyes that accompany photophobia,
- blurred vision for 1-2 days.
If you have photophobia, you should tell your doctor about other accompanying symptoms:
- headache,
- eye pain,
- vomiting and nausea,
- blurred vision,
- stiffness of the neck muscles,
- blurred vision,
- swelling,
- dizziness,
- hearing change,
- tingling or numbness in other parts of the body.
The treatment method for photophobia is determined by the treatment of the underlying disease that causes the eyes to be hypersensitive to light.
- If you eliminate the primary pathology, then you subsequently need to make adjustments to your life: for example, on sunny days you do not need to leave the house without sunglasses with 100 percent protection. A temporary form of photophobia, which is a consequence of the inflammatory process in the eyes, can be treated with the use of eye drops containing moisturizing, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory components, vitamin and mineral complexes. Treatment with drops relieves photophobia after a few days.
- If the root cause of photophobia is taking medications, then it is better to consult an ophthalmologist to replace the medications with others.
- The workplace near the computer should be darkened, and the brightness of the monitor should be reduced.
It must be remembered that the presence of increased sensitivity to light can be a harbinger of a serious disease, so it is necessary to detect it in a timely manner and begin treatment.
In cases where photophobia is caused by a structural feature of the visual organs, we can only recommend wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses.
Treatment of photophobia using folk remedies
Photophobia can be treated using a number of herbal remedies:
- Eyebright erecta. This representative of the flora helps treat many eye diseases, including photophobia. To prepare the miracle remedy, you need a teaspoon of dried herb and 200 grams of boiling water. After the infusion is ready, wash your eyes with it, preferably before bed. You can also make a compress with gauze napkins soaked in the eyebright infusion; it is also recommended to drip 3 drops of this infusion into the eyes. Eyebright decoction is also taken orally, 1 tablespoon. The course of treatment is 10 days.
- Sweet clover. We collect the flowering tops (this is done in the month of July), and then for every 40 grams of flowers, take 200 grams of water and boil the mixture for 15 minutes over low heat. After filtering the broth, soak gauze swabs and apply to the eyes.
- Flax seed. For every four spoons of seeds, take a glass of water, then leave for 15 minutes and wash your eyes every morning.
- Sea buckthorn oil. This is an excellent remedy for the treatment of many complex eye diseases, including photophobia. Oil is dripped into the eyes, a drop every two hours.
Prevention of photophobia
The main means of preventing photophobia is sunglasses (glasses with tinted lenses are possible), which will protect the eyes from the negative effects of solar ultraviolet radiation.
Safety glasses can be selected depending on the person’s occupation:
- driver's glasses,
- glasses for working on a computer,
- glasses for people involved in sports,
- photochromic chameleon glasses, etc.
Prognosis for the development of photophobia
You will have to seek treatment for the vision abnormality in question in any case, because constant sharp pain in the eye area will lead to constant discomfort and the patient will not be able to withstand this condition.
